Restoring America’s Largest Swamp to Improve Louisiana Fisheries
The Atchafalaya Basin is in decline due to the construction of levees and canals, the proliferation of aquatic invasive species, and sediment build-up, but restoration will benefit habitat while maintaining flood control
It’s America’s largest swamp, encompassing more than 250,000 acres of iconic cypress and tupelo gum forests, winding bayous, and lakes that give way to growing deltas as the Atchafalaya River’s sediment-heavy waters near the Gulf.
Too many Louisianans to count have explored the fertile bayous, bays, lakes, and flats of the Basin in pursuit of bass, sac-a-lait, goggle eye, hand-sized bluegill, and numerous other fish.
The Atchafalaya also supports ample deer and squirrel hunting opportunities and world’s largest annual wild crawfish harvest. It teems with alligators, ducks, and other waterfowl and supports commercial fishing for catfish, buffalo, carp, and blue crabs.
The Atchafalaya Basin is one of America’s top freshwater fisheries. Credit: Samuel Lei
While the Basin is inarguably one of the country’s top fisheries, it’s become obvious to many its productivity has declined over the last 20 years. Sediment coming down the Atchafalaya River, which is fed by the combined waters of the Mississippi and Red Rivers and directed by the Old River Control Structure, is filling in and shallowing bayous, canals, and lakes throughout the Basin.
The sediment that makes it all the way to the Basin’s final stretches in Atchafalaya Bay is building extensive deltas at the mouth of the Atchafalaya River and the Wax Lake Outlet, expanding valuable habitat for ducks, bald eagles, and a wide variety of other birds and fish. However, in the northern and middle grounds of the Basin, areas like Grand Lake, Little Bayou Pigeon, Buffalo Cove, and Grand River Flats, the sediment is clogging waterways and blocking some north-south flows that are critical to bringing oxygenated waters into the swamp.
“While the Basin is inarguably one of the country’s top fisheries, it’s become obvious to many its productivity has declined over the last 20 years.”
Other man-made issues plague the Basin as well. First, while it remains wild in appearance and supports a wide range of fisheries and wildlife, the Basin is a heavily managed flood control spillway used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help make sure the Mississippi River doesn’t overtop its levees or tries to switch course and begin to use the Atchafalaya River as its primary outlet to the Gulf.
Guide levees built by the Corps to stop floodwaters from spreading and protect communities have cut off annual spring floods from filtering into areas that were once part of the Basin like Lake Verret and Lake Fausse Point. Areas inside the levees are silting in while the swamps cut off by the levees are sinking and filling in with rotting leaves and other organic materials.
Man-made oil and gas canals and barge channels like the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel have changed the natural water flows and spoil banks have interrupted the critical “sheet” flow that spread nutrients and sediments across the swamp during spring floods.
“Atchafalaya bass anglers have been sounding the alarm about bass populations and overall size of fish for more than a decade.”
Long-time Atchafalaya bass anglers have been sounding the alarm about bass populations and overall size of fish for more than a decade, noting tournament stringers have declined in total weight by as much as five pounds on average over the last decade-plus. Biologists with Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have figured the average life span of a Basin bass to be about three years, much shorter than bass in reservoirs.
Crawfishermen are feeling it as well with low dissolved oxygen levels often killing their catch in the traps before they can sack the crawfish and get them to market.
Low dissolved oxygen could be the chief culprit limiting bass size as well. The stress of low dissolved oxygen levels, especially during summer months when water temps can climb into the high 80s and in areas not getting the proper water movement, causes bass to stop eating and forces them to concentrate in areas with higher oxygen.
State and federal habitat and fisheries managers understand the problems and are trying to take some steps, working within the constraints of funding and the reality that the Basin is a critical flood control tool.
The Corps of Engineers is in the middle of its Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study, a multi-year, $25 million “Mega Study” authorized by Congress to examine changes that can be made in Mississippi River management from southern Missouri to the Gulf to improve navigation, flood control, and recreational access and better manage water and habitat for fish and wildlife production. The study is set to conclude in late 2027 and could be the basis for federally approved water resources projects that affect the Atchafalaya Basin and other Mississippi River floodplains for decades.
At the same time, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is in the middle of a four-year process of public engagement, engineering, and modeling and identifying funding sources for a comprehensive Master Plan for the Basin that would prescribe a host of dredging, water quality, habitat restoration, boat launches, and other public access projects.
The Nature Conservancy, a habitat restoration and preservation-focused nonprofit group, is working closely with both agencies and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries through the Sustainable Rivers Program to develop specific recommendations on how water levels and habitat can be better managed in the Basin to improve fisheries, wildlife, and forests. Among some early recommendations are inundating the Basin’s floodplains early enough in the year and long enough for bass and sac-a-lait to successfully spawn, drawing down water in the early summer before high temperatures kill oxygen levels, and pulsing water through the Old River Control Structure into the Basin in the late summer to improve water quality.
All of these efforts will take time to develop. But it’s good news that state and federal agencies and conservation organizations are paying real attention to the problems in the Atchafalaya Basin and thinking beyond temporary fixes and short-term band-aids.
Hopefully that means 10 years from now Basin bass anglers are again bragging about tournament stringers instead of still lamenting about what used to be.
Your support helped make these conservation achievements possible.
In many ways, 2025 was a year defined by gridlock and uncertainty in Washington D.C. Partisan divides slowed much of Congress, budgets were tight, and long-term solutions often felt just out of reach. Yet even in this environment, one thing remains clear: when hunters, anglers, and conservation partners stay engaged and unite, conservation solutions take shape and harmful proposals sink.
Those moments underscored why steady engagement matters and they reinforce TRCP’s commitment to remain vigilant, build durable coalitions, and continue advocating for the balanced conservation solutions that safeguard America’s lands, waters, and wildlife.
In 2025, the hunting and fishing community stepped into the arena and delivered meaningful achievements that safeguarded access, strengthened habitat, and advanced bipartisan, durable solutions that will benefit the future of our sporting traditions. Here are just a few:
We Held the Line on Public Lands, Together.
Public lands are a cornerstone of America’s conservation legacy – and of our hunting and fishing traditions. In 2025, the sporting and conservation community achieved a significant win that safeguarded our nation’s public lands.
Working alongside a broad, bipartisan coalition, TRCP helped defeat proposals that would have mandated the sale of millions of acres of public lands as part of the budget reconciliation process. Through sustained advocacy and engagement with hunters, anglers, and Congress, those provisions were removed, ensuring that public lands remain in public hands.
That same commitment to collaboration was reflected in the formation of new bipartisan caucuses in Congress, efforts that TRCP helped propel forward by working closely with key lawmakers to grow membership and support early momentum. In the House, lawmakers from both parties launched the Public Lands Caucus to advance common-ground solutions that protect access, habitat, and America’s public lands legacy. In the Senate, the creation of the bipartisan Stewardship Caucus further reinforced the principle that conservation succeeds when leaders work together for the common good – and commit to increasing the pace and scale of stewardship across the public and private lands that hunters and anglers depend on.
Taken together, these underscore the strength of coordinated advocacy and the importance of staying engaged when public lands access and stewardship are on the line
Progress on MAPLand and MAPRoads Acts improved clarity around public access points and legal routes. Continued efforts on the MAPWaters Act advanced a clearer understanding of water access for anglers, while the MAPOceans Act aims to support transparency and access for recreational saltwater fishing.
Together, these initiatives reflect a bipartisan commitment to reduce confusion, avoid conflict, and help people enjoy the outdoors responsibly – proof that progress doesn’t always require sweeping reform to be meaningful.
Read more about how this suite of legislation aims to enhance access to your public lands and waters by digitizing public access records and paper maps HERE.
We Advanced Habitat and Forest Management That Works
Strong conservation outcomes depend not just on safeguards, but on thoughtful, science-informed management and 2025 saw meaningful progress on both fronts.
Bipartisan momentum behind the Fix Our Forests Act reflected a shared recognition that healthy forests are essential to resilient wildlife habitat, strong fisheries and watershed health, safer communities, and sustained recreational access. This management-first approach mirrors TRCP’s emphasis on solutions that endure beyond a single season or policy cycle.
That same mindset guided progress on the Farm Bill, which added over $15 billion to the conservation baseline. These investments provide stability for private-land conservation programs and support the landowners who play a critical role in sustaining wildlife habitat across the country.
Targeted investments through USDA also advanced efforts to address Chronic Wasting Disease, supporting the long-term health of the big game herds hunters care deeply about.
We Strengthened Wildlife Connectivity and On-the-Ground Conservation
Some of the most tangible conservation gains in 2025 occurred where conservation meets daily life.
State-level investments in wildlife crossing projects, including efforts in Montana and New Mexico, strengthened habitat connectivity while reducing collisions and improving safety for both wildlife and people. These highlight the power of collaboration and the value of durable, locally supported solutions.
We Demonstrated that Conservation is a High-Return Investment
In 2025, conservation continued to prove its value as a high-return investment for communities, jobs, and economic growth.
A new report showed that investments in fish and wildlife conservation generate significant economic activity nationwide – supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, contributing billions to GDP, and serving as the bedrock of the $1.1 trillion outdoor recreation economy that many rural and gateway communities depend on.
For hunters, anglers, and community leaders alike, the takeaway is clear: conservation is not only good stewardship – it’s smart economics, delivering significant benefits that support local livelihoods and America’s outdoor heritage.
We Maintained Focus on Bipartisan, Durable Solutions
Not every policy decision in 2025 aligned with the priorities of hunters and anglers – but those moments only reinforced why persistence matters. They sharpened our resolve to stay engaged, to keep building strong bipartisan coalitions, and to remain vigilant in advocating for balanced, durable, science-based solutions. Guided by our mission, TRCP is more committed than ever to standing up for the lands, waters, wildlife, and sporting traditions that define us.
Even as Washington, D.C. continues to navigate uncertainty, one thing remains evident: conservation advances when hunters, anglers, partners, and decision-makers step into the arena together. Collaboration matters. And showing up – year after year – matters. When we unite, we win.
Fast-Tracking Top Everglades Restoration Project a Win for Hunters, Anglers
The Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, which will store and deliver billions of gallons of clean water to South Florida fish and wildlife habitat, is now scheduled to be completed years ahead of schedule
The Florida’s Everglades are on the brink of a historic transformation. Thanks to a landmark agreement earlier this year between the State of Florida and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the completion of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir is now set for 2029, a full five years ahead of the original schedule.
The EAA Reservoir project is designed to restore the natural north-to-south flow of water of the Everglades system, reduce harmful discharges of nutrient-laden water from Lake Okeechobee, and improve water quality across South Florida’s wetlands and estuaries. The reservoir, being constructed south of Lake O, is frequently referred to as the “crown jewel” of Everglades restoration because, once finished, it will store over 78 billion gallons of untreated water and deliver up to 470 billion gallons of clean water annually to the Everglades and Florida Bay.
Credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The recent agreement between Florida and the Army Corps will not only accelerate the EAA Reservoir’s construction timeline by five years, but also will:
Authorize Florida to construct the project’s inflow and outflow pump stations, along with other supporting features, enabling the Corps to focus on the main reservoir basin.
Allow Florida to assume responsibility for the Blue Shanty Flow Way, another vital project to deliver clean water south across the Tamiami Trail and into Florida Bay through removing flow barriers and improving conveyance.
Enable Florida to manage future Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects, through expedited permitting processes and updated federal memoranda of understanding.
Cut federal red tape and redirect resources to fast-track critical restoration efforts.
This expedited timeline is more than just a construction milestone; it’s a game-changer for everyone who loves Florida’s wild spaces, especially hunters and anglers.
Once finished, the EAA Reservoir will store over 78 billion gallons of untreated water and deliver up to 470 billion gallons of clean water annually to the Everglades and Florida Bay.
How Expedited Completion Benefits Hunters and Anglers
1. Faster Habitat Recovery
The Everglades are home to some of America’s most iconic fish and game species, but years of altered water flows and pollution have degraded these habitats, leading to less waterfowl, game birds, whitetail deer, and sportfish. By finishing the reservoir five years early, the restoration of wetlands and estuaries will happen sooner, providing critical habitat for waterfowl, deer, Osceola turkeys, and other game species. Anglers should see healthier populations of redfish, snook, speckled trout, and tarpon in Florida Bay as cleaner water supports the food webs these species rely on.
Credit: Pat Ford Photography
2. Cleaner Water, Better Fishing
The EAA Reservoir will dramatically reduce the frequency and severity of toxic algae blooms and red tide events by filtering nutrient-rich water before it reaches the coasts, by allowing nutrient-heavy water to be stored in the reservoir and treated before it flows offshore. This means fewer fish kills and healthier sea grasses, which are essential for sportfish breeding and feeding. For anglers, this translates to more productive days on the water and a more resilient fishery for years to come.
3. Improved Waterfowl and Game Bird Hunting
Restored wetlands mean more aquatic vegetation and invertebrates—the primary food sources for ducks and other waterfowl, and other migratory birds such as snipe and woodcock. As the EAA Reservoir brings cleaner water and revitalized marshes, hunters can expect improved waterfowl and game numbers and better hunting opportunities throughout the region.
Credit: Ryan Lockwood
4. Boosted Outdoor Recreation Economy
Florida’s outdoor recreation industry, including hunting and fishing, generates billions of dollars in economic activity each year. By accelerating the EAA Reservoir’s completion, the state is investing in the future of its clean water economy, supporting guides, outfitters, tackle shops, and the broader tourism sector that depends on healthy ecosystems.
A Model for Conservation Partnerships
This expedited timeline is possible thanks to unprecedented cooperation between state and federal agencies, bipartisan political support, and the advocacy of conservation groups and outdoor enthusiasts – including TRCP members who continue to voice their support for Everglades restoration. It’s a testament to what can be achieved when diverse stakeholders unite around a shared vision for restoration and recreation.
Signs of a River Herring Resurgence in Connecticut Ignite Hope
Rebound closely linked to reduced industrial fishing for Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel – fisheries known for incidental bycatch of blueback herring and alewives
I can still hear the animated phone call from a breathless childhood friend after observing his first school of truly giant striped bass feeding during a local river herring run in the early 2000s. Being a few years older than me, he had just gotten his driver’s license and couldn’t wait to share his discovery with me the next evening. He said there were stripers feeding in the mouth of the brook last night that were so big “it sounded like Volkswagens being thrown in the water.”
Not one to ever turn down such an opportunity, we headed off that night to figure out the most creative way to get access to the location without trespassing. Unfortunately, the only access we uncovered required blindly inching our way along a quarter-mile of steep banks and knee-deep mud as we pushed toward the sounds of splashing fish. By the time we had finally dragged ourselves into position, the tide had fallen, the bass had moved out of casting range, and we were forced to listen to the commotion where they continued their assault on the large schools of alewives.
We repeated this trip for dozens of nights over the next few springs, ultimately landing many striped bass up to thirty-five pounds amongst the spawning herring. These were nights that I will never forget. The kind where friends stayed up until deep into the wee hours, laughing, celebrating, and lamenting over legendary fish that were hooked and many lost. But sadly, as time marched on, the alewives returned less and less each season, and the giant bass disappeared with them. By the time I graduated high school in 2007, this small herring run, along with most others in Connecticut, was gone and I wouldn’t see another alewife or striped bass in this location again until the spring of 2025, when another much-needed phone call finally came in.
Blueback herring populations in Connecticut have decreased 99.9 percent since 1985.
Working to Restore Plummeting Populations
Since beginning my career as a river herring biologist with the state of Connecticut in 2018, I have been working to build a network of professionals, researchers, and stakeholders, hoping to track population recovery of blueback herring and alewives, collectively known as river herring, across southern New England. We communicate constantly during the spring, and I am always hoping for a call like the ones I used to receive when river herring were plentiful.
Sadly, the majority of the calls I’ve received were from curious and often frustrated stakeholders asking where the herring had gone, or when were we lifting the harvest ban. These stakeholders remembered the “glory days” and were frustrated that decades of hard work had not brought these fish back. I too was frustrated, wondering why the investment of tens of millions of dollars across the state on projects that included the removal of dozens of dams, the construction of over fifty fishways, and the re-introduction of 156,000 pre-spawn alewives were not restoring herring runs. This lack of significant success occurred despite a full moratorium on the take of both river herring species in place in Connecticut since 2002, as in-river protections and restoration work were not enough to bring river herring back.
Blueback herring (left) and alewife during sampling at Pequonnock River fishway in Connecticut, May 2025. Credit: Marly Laberge
In the spring of 2022 and again in 2023, fisheries biologists, Tribal Elders, birdwatchers, herring wardens, and recreational anglers across Southern New England again watched with heavy hearts as the already minuscule river herring numbers collapsed further. Here in Connecticut, alewife runs diminished by 63 percent and 69 percent, respectively (a reduction of 350,000 fish), and we saw our second worst blueback herring returns since 1975, with only 570 fish returning to state-monitored runs in 2022. This was an astounding 99.9 percent decrease in blueback herring populations across Connecticut since 1985. In other words, this species was essentially extirpated in the state and alewives were holding on by only a thread with just 152,000 fish across Connecticut in 2023.
Dismal southern New England river herring runs forced biologists to look for answers outside restored rivers to the open ocean, where herring spend most of their lives.
So as the 2023 river herring runs ended, it was fair to say that many of us had all but lost hope in achieving a recovery for these species in southern New England. We had been watching each year with great envy and confusion as river herring runs in the Gulf of Maine continued to rebound in response to in-river restoration efforts nearly identical to ours. This reality forced managers in southern New England to again explain to our stakeholders that our runs were still too small to allow in-river harvest, while states outside our region like Maine and South Carolina continued to have enough river herring to keep their fisheries open. Our goal has been to reopen in-river recreational and commercial river herring fisheries that fuel local economies and inspire stewardship of the runs, but we are nowhere near the “escapement” goals (of enough fish surviving and escaping fishing pressure to return to freshwater spawning grounds) required to meet the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s requirements to open these fisheries to harvest.
This clear geographic bias that seemed to only be affecting the southern New England and Mid-Atlantic river herring runs forced many of us to look for answers outside the rivers, where the restoration work was completed, and inside the ocean where river herring spend the majority of their life.
TAKE ACTION FOR HERRING: TRCP offers information at the end of the blog on how you can make your voice heard to protect river herring.
Signs of Hope
In April 2025, I received the first of what would end up being dozens of phone calls and emails from stakeholders across Connecticut who were not only finally seeing river herring, but seeing large numbers in places they hadn’t seen them in decades. This first call was special, though, because it came from one of my seasonal resource technicians, and she was calling me from the very run I fished for striped bass over two decades earlier.
She said there were thousands of alewives there. Thousands. I’m pretty sure I blacked out from shock the moment I heard those words because I cannot remember anything about that day until the moment I finally climbed down the bank and peered into the pool myself. Swimming in front of me were scores of spawning alewives in a scene that put me right back where I had left off in high school, a scene I had been hoping to relive each spring since 2007.
A Connecticut alewife run thick with alewives (see lower part of image) during the strong 2025 herring runs. Credit: Kevin Job
In the weeks that followed, I would receive phone calls and emails like this from people across the state highlighting their amazement that they were seeing river herring again. Alewives running up small streams into people’s backyards, osprey dropping them in town parks and on roadways, anglers rediscovering large striped bass hot on the tails of the baitfish, and, most shockingly, a call describing “thousands of herring” at an alewife run in the center of Connecticut’s largest city. This was especially shocking because the call was in late May and alewives don’t usually run in Connecticut in late May; blueback herring do. Having never seen a blueback herring at that location, we quickly packed up the sampling gear and drove west to find roughly 10,000 blueback herring working their way up the fishway.
Searching for Answers
Where were these fish coming from? When I sat down and reflected upon the season, I wasn’t as surprised as I thought. Because the answer, after years of research, was very likely the result of increased at-sea survival of adult river herring.
The river herring rebound is likely the result of increased at-sea survival, following restrictions on industrial Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries.
Each year, the industrial Atlantic mackerel and Atlantic herring fisheries off the coast of New England are allowed to land and sell a combined total of roughly 5 million river herring and shad, fish not targeted but that swim with other species and are allowed to be retained, before they are shut down by catch limits. Since the river herring and shad catch cap program started, the overwhelming majority of all species landed by the fishery have been alewife and blueback herring, and the majority of those fish have been landed from the waters off southern New England.
When researchers looked at the river herring landed in the Atlantic herring fishery, they unsurprisingly found that the majority are genetically linked to the runs of southern New England and the mid-Atlantic states struggling to restore their river herring runs. The Gulf of Maine, where river herring runs are recovering at lightning pace, make up less than 10 percent of the reported catch cap landings since this program started. So why the sudden spike in southern New England in 2025?
Industrial Fishing Closures Coincide with the Rebound
In October of 2023, the industrial Atlantic mackerel fishery was essentially closed by low quotas, following concerns of mackerel stock collapse. This kept these large boats from targeting mackerel in the waters off southern New England and prevented the utilization of the 129-metric-ton river herring and shad quota each year. Similarly, the Atlantic herring stock has collapsed, and the allowed quotas are now the lowest in decades, forcing that industry to focus its limited efforts on a small and productive area off of Cape Cod each winter. As a result, the industry is now largely avoiding areas off Rhode Island and New York that they historically targeted, where the river herring/shad quota is the highest.
This has meant that the southern New England catch cap area, where historically high river herring catches have occurred as a result of fishing for Atlantic herring, has essentially been unfished by the fleet during the last couple years. Additionally, in 2023 and 2024, the now-limited fishery was prematurely shut down by river herring/shad catch cap quota triggers off this area near Cape Cod and was shut down again this year by extremely low Atlantic herring quotas that were reached after just a few days of fishing in January.
Together, these closures afforded southern New England river herring at-sea protections not seen since the late ’70s and ’80s when the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act forced foreign trawling vessels, which had collapsed our Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, and river herring stocks back then, at least 200 miles offshore. So, in essence, management restrictions of two marine species – Atlantic herring and mackerel – also appear to have already allowed for the early recovery of river herring and alewives.
A striped bass caught during a blueback herring run in Connecticut, May 2025. Credit: Kevin Job
Ensuring a Return to the “Glory Days”
This spring, I found myself being pulled back to the herring runs I had haunted as a teenager, not as a biologist but with a fishing rod in hand and a smile on my face. As I quietly waded into position on my first night back, I could hear the telltale sound of herring spawning and striped bass in tow, while that long forgotten feeling of youthful excitement quickly flooded my veins. The first striped bass I hooked that night was only around 10 pounds, but it might as well have been 50 the way it made me feel as it screamed across the shallow pool, sending herring in all directions. As I released it, in the very place that brought me so much joy in my youth, I knew I had a lot of calls to make that night and a lot of joy to share.
This was a transformative year for river herring in southern New England, and I don’t want that to be lost on anyone. But this recent resurgence is by no means guaranteed to continue. Now is the time to stand up for the science and continue supporting regulations and protections that will help keep this momentum moving forward. The people of southern New England deserve to again harvest river herring and we have the ability to make that happen.
I think the English writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley put it best when he said, “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.” So let us learn from the overfishing that has been allowed to occur in our waters and take great care moving forward to not let the same mistakes happen again. It’s time to learn from history.
Kevin Job, a native New Englander, is a fisheries biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. His work focuses on diadromous fishes including river herring and shad.
Make Your Voice Heard for River Herring
Here at TRCP, we have been keeping tabs on the upcoming decision points for Atlantic mackerel and Atlantic herring at their respective regional councils. There are multiple ways you can get involved to make public comments to let decisionmakers know that the recovery of these two species, and that of river herring and shad, should remain a top priority when setting commercial catch limits and bycatch caps. Now that the link between all these fish has been made clear, it is imperative that managers stay on track to keep rebuilding all of these critical forage fish – for future generations of predators on the water, and future generations of anglers.
The Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council meets on Dec. 16 to set the Atlantic mackerel quotas for 2026-2027 and to discuss river herring and shad catch caps. You can submit written public comments hereby Thursday, Dec. 11, speak in-person at the meeting in Washington, D.C., or participate remotely via webinar.
The New England Fishery Management Council meets on Dec. 4 to set 2026 priorities, which will hopefully include Amendment 10 to the Atlantic herring fishery management plan. We have been working to support Amendment 10 action since 2023, and it’s imperative that the Council doesn’t keep kicking the can down the road regarding this important potential management measure. The written comment deadline has passed for this meeting, but you can still speak in-person at the meeting in Newport, R.I., or remotely via webinar.
Bipartisan Caucus Backs Public Lands in Public Hands Act
Members of the Public Lands Caucus unite behind legislation designed to continue transparency and uphold long-standing public land policies
The Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus officially endorsed the Public Lands in Public Hands Act, marking an important moment for lawmakers working together to safeguard America’s system of public lands. Formed earlier this year by Representatives Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) and co-chaired alongside Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), the Caucus was created to provide a Bully Pulpit – a term coined by President Theodore Roosevelt, a staunch advocate for public lands – for members to speak on issues important to preserving our country’s public land legacy with support from their colleagues.
The Public Lands in Public Hands Act aims to prevent certain public lands from being sold or transferred without extra oversight. Among its key highlights, the bill:
Prohibits the sale or transfer of most federal public lands managed by the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service, except where already required by law.
Requires Congressional approval before publicly accessible federal land tracts larger than 300 acres can be disposed of.
Requires Congressional approval for disposal of land tracts over five acres that are publicly accessible by water.
These provisions are intended to maintain public access to activities such as hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking, while ensuring transparency and accountability around any future land transactions.
The endorsement reflects ongoing bipartisan support in the stewardship of public lands, which bolster rural economies, contribute to cultural traditions, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and ensure our nation’s outdoor legacy. Earlier this year, members of the Caucus collaborated across party lines to remove a proposal that would have authorized the sale of 500,000 acres of public lands, underscoring the role the group aims to play in reviewing and discussing major public land decisions.
“Public lands are a defining feature of the American landscape, and clear, consistent policy helps safeguard these places for future generations,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The TRCP commends this bipartisan endorsement, which highlights how lawmakers can come together around shared values that have long mattered to hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationists.”
With the Caucus’s endorsement, the Public Lands in Public Hands Act now proceeds through the House legislative process. TRCP will continue to monitor the bill and provide information to hunters, anglers, and the broader public as it advances.
Learn more about the Public Lands in Public Hands Act HERE.
Photo Credit: Tristan Henry
HOW YOU CAN HELP
TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to further our commitment to conservation. $4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue our efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.
